MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- The sponsor of a bill to authorize charter schools in Alabama plans to dramatically shrink the scope of that proposal before a committee vote that could come as soon as today.

Only districts with the lowest-performing schools could approve the creation of charters under the new version of the bill, according to Rep. Phil Williams, R-Huntsville. The original measure would have allowed any district statewide to create a charter school.

Additionally, there could be a maximum of only 20 charter schools approved statewide before 2017, under the new proposal, Williams said. That cap was set at 50 in the initial proposal. The substitute bill will include other changes, as well, he said.

Williams said he made the changes in part because of doubts expressed by fellow Republicans.

"This is part of the give and take of the legislative process. You know, we’re finding that ... a lot of our caucus has concerns about it," Williams said in an interview.

The House Ways and Means Education Committee on Tuesday debated House Bill 541, dubbed the "Education Options Act," but postponed voting on the legislation. Another committee meeting is scheduled this morning, but Williams said the bill may not get a vote until Thursday.

The original bill has the support of top Alabama Republicans, including Gov. Robert Bentley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard of Auburn and Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh of Anniston.

Even with the new proposal’s more limited reach, Williams anticipated a fight.

"It does feel right, at the end of the day, to focus on the most challenged areas," he said. But "they’ll probably fight us the hardest."

There now are 22 school districts in Alabama that would qualify for charter schools because they have low-performing traditional schools, including Birmingham City Schools, Huntsville City Schools and Mobile County Public Schools, according to information from state officials. If local school officials refused a charter application, a state council could overrule them, under the bill.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle, as well as state school Superintendent Thomas Bice, expressed reservations about the proposal during Tuesday’s committee meeting.

"I’m not opposed to charter schools. I’m concerned with the bill as it’s written," Bice said.

Bice listed a handful of misgivings that he and the state school board have with the proposal. Among them was the possibility that charters, which the bill requires be non-profit and non-religious, could sub-contract work to for-profit companies.

Rep. Jeremy Oden, R-Vinemont told the bill’s sponsor that he has the same concern.

"They’ve got it down to an art, Mr. Williams, of how to come into a school system and make money," Oden said.

Bice also expressed worries about the fate of traditional schools that may lose students to charters, the possibility that a charter school’s curriculum would differ from that of traditional schools, and the composition of the state council that could overrule low-performing school districts that reject charter schools.

Williams said the new version of the bill would add two seats to that council for state school board members. Additionally, the new bill would require that charter schools be placed near low-performing traditional schools, he said.

One aspect of the proposal, which would allow local school districts more flexibility in handling state rules related to funding and curriculum, was received warmly by Bice and members of both parties.